Public Statements

Letter to the Honorable Speaker Boehner and the Honorable Minority Leader Pelosi

Letter

We write to urge a full and open legislative process, with an opportunity for amendment, when the 112th Congress considers legislation on federal support for the ethanol industry.

As we're sure you are aware, the ethanol industry has long benefited from federal support in the form of tax credits, a protective import tariff, and the renewable fuels mandate. Nearly every aspect of the industry is federally subsidized, and this comes at a cost. In fact, in Fiscal Year 2009, the Congressional Budget Office determined "the biofuel tax credits reduced federal excise tax collections by about $6 billion below what they would have been if the credits had not been in effect."

The $0.45 per gallon tax credit and the $0.54 per gallon import tariff are set to expire at the end of the year. However, provisions to extend the tax credit and import tariff were included in H.R. 4853, the Tax Relief, Unemployment Insurance Reauthorization, and Job Creation Act of 2010. By the end of the year, Congress will once again have an opportunity to address the future of federal support for the industry.

Given the difficult fiscal decisions Congress faces and the focused attention on federal spending, taxpayers deserve a transparent process and regular order with respect to ethanol legislation.